BRATTLEBORO-Brattleboro Town Meeting and WSESD School Board elections will be held on March 4, 2025. There are three major ways to vote in these elections:
• Absentee ballot. Absentee ballots for the March elections must be requested. Anyone may apply for an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on Monday, March 3, although officials recommend doing so as soon as possible to allow for mail delivery time. Ballots can be requested through the voter's My Voter Page (mvp.vermont.gov), or by contacting the Town Clerk's office at 802-251-8157 or [email protected]. Mailing of requested absentee ballots began on Feb. 12.
Only the voter may pick up their ballot from the Town Clerk's office. Ballots can be returned by mail, dropped off in advance of the election in the drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot, or returned to the polls on Election Day. When returning voted ballots, pay careful attention to the instructions included with the ballots. All voted ballots must be received by the Clerk before the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, March 4, to be counted.
• In-person early voting. In-person early voting is done at the Brattleboro Town Clerk's office. This option is available through Monday, March 3, at 5 p.m. There must be two election officials in the office in order to provide this service.
Mike Mrowicki has served since 2007 in the Vermont House of Representatives, where he represents Putney and Dummerston in the Windham-4 district. PUTNEY-A dollar is a lot of money if you don't have it, my grandfather used to say. He was an immigrant who came to America right after...
BRATTLEBORO-A benefit concert for Ukraine, to recognize the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to raise money for urgently needed medical supplies, will be presented on Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre. The concert features three locally based groups: • Windborne, an...
College news • The following local students were honored for academic excellence in the fall 2024 semester by Community College of Vermont. Named to the President's List were Calista Cooke of Townshend, Marcias Masetlwa of Vernon, Victoria Augusta-Summers of West Halifax, Paige Mellish of Westminster, and Jasmine Cavanaugh of Westminster West. Named to the Dean's List were Skylar French of Bellows Falls, Gregory Crespo, Erika Favreau, Carley Lonardo, Iyla Neikirk, and Shabnam Sediqi of Brattleboro; Tyler McNary of East Dummerston,
PUTNEY-The Landmark College Players present She Kills Monsters, a play by Qui Ngyuen on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, at 7 p.m. at the Greenhoe Theater in the Fine Arts Building. She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in...
BRATTLEBORO-ByWay Books & More, 399 Canal St., will host Jeffrey Diteman, co-translator for Louis Timagène Houat's The Maroons, and artist Shanta Lee on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. Their presentation focuses on the importance of translation in the process of reviving banned books and redressing the injustices of colonialism. The discussion will cover the process of collaborative translation and the contemporary relevance, including the potential uses of this novel in the classroom as it illuminates the timelessness...
Hot dog and baked bean dinner in Newfane NEWFANE - The Newfane Congregational Church, 11 Church St., invites you to a get-out-of-the-house and meet-some-friends fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. A meal of hot dogs, homemade baked beans, cornbread, and coleslaw, with brownies and ice cream for dessert, will help chase away the winter blues. No reservations are needed. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for children up to 12 years of age. No take-out meals...
BELLOWS FALLS-Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Charlotte Morris will play the Stage 33 Live listening room at 33 Bridge St. on Sunday, Feb. 23. at 6 p.m. with Elliott Lee Friesen. Charlotte Morris weaves together Americana, folk, jazz, and more. Her vocals and songwriting has been compared to Joni Mitchell, Liz Longley, and Eva Cassidy. "Seeing Charlotte live is like having a deep conversation with an old friend," wrote organizers in a news release. Influenced by artists like Delta Rae, Brandi Carlile, and...
BRATTLEBORO-Artists, winter enthusiasts, and builders of all ages and experience levels have been working for weeks in garages, workshops, and backyards to design and build their entries for "Artful Ice Shanties." The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) and Retreat Farm invite the public to see the results of this creative labor during the annual outdoor exhibit through Feb. 23 at Retreat Farm. Now in its fifth year, "Artful Ice Shanties" has become a signature Vermont event celebrating artistic talent,
BRATTLEBORO-Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) and the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) will host Pierre Losson, who holds a doctorate in political science from City University of New York, to discuss the legal, political, and ethical questions that drive the movement to return cultural objects. The talk will take place on Saturday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m., at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, 10 Vernon St. Pressure has been mounting for Western museums to return archaeological artifacts, artworks,
BRATTLEBORO-118 Elliot presents a special showing and conversation with the artists of "Fueled by Love: Work That Keeps You Going," an exhibition of paintings by Ellen Cone Maddrey, Gayle Robertson, John Loggia, Liza King, Mary Therese Wright, and Tina Olsen on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hot drinks and pastries will be provided. "Fueled by Love" brings together a collection of paintings by six artists, each piece chosen by the artist as a touchstone to keep...
BELLOWS FALLS-Rockingham voters will soon vote on our town's purchase of the Bellows Falls Train Station, a property with a long history of deferred maintenance and environmental contamination. Costs to address the known problems with the building and site will total millions of dollars. Hazardous materials issues at the site include contamination with volatile solvents - chemicals that are much like those with a history of harm at numerous industrial and military sites. Projected costs have increased substantially during planning.
BRATTLEBORO-Class, a play by Irish playwrights Iseult Golden and David Horan, gets its U.S. premiere at the Hooker-Dunham Theater this month. The story: Brian and Donna's son, Jayden, is 9, and he's struggling. That's what his teacher says. Judging by test scores and behaviors, he should see a psychologist. But Brian and Donna - recently separated - never liked school, nor teachers. So are they going to trust this one? The upshot: a parent-teacher meeting goes very wrong. The play...
MARLBORO-I feel compelled to respond to Selectboard member Richard Davis, who questions if now is the time to cut town nonprofit support in light of rising local taxes. I have worked for three Brattleboro nonprofits: In-Sight Photography Project, River Gallery School of Art, and Brooks Memorial Library (a town department). I appreciate that Mr. Davis has had positive experiences with the generosity of private donors, as I did in these capacities. However, funding at nonprofits is always precarious, even in...
BRATTLEBORO-I encourage voting for Richard Davis for a one-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard. Richard is an incumbent who has shown a commonsense approach to the tough issues we face in town. I met with Richard to advocate to protect funding for sidewalks and bike safety as a member of the Brattleboro Coalition for Active Transportation. He listened and gave us practical, useful advice. He supports the increased police presence downtown to help address safety concerns. He understands the problems...
The writer is a member of the Rockingham Selectboard but submits this letter as a citizen. SAXTONS RIVER-On Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. at the Bellows Falls Middle School, the town of Rockingham will hold its first Saturday Town Meeting. Article 9 on the meeting warning asks if the town will establish a municipal Rockingham Fire and Rescue department. Voters from Bellows Falls and Saxtons River Villages should plan to attend to support this venture. Residents of the two...
BRATTLEBORO-Gov. Phil Scott has proposed eliminating Vermont's successful universal school meals program. As a parent and paraeducator working in the Windham Southeast School District, I see firsthand the importance of offering children meals during the school day. I think it is common sense to most folks that kids need to be properly fed to be able to learn, which is what they are in school to do. It makes very little sense to put obstacles in the way of the...
BRATTLEBORO-Oscar Heller is my choice for the three-year seat on the Brattleboro Selectboard. As a colleague and friend, Oscar is hardworking and a great listener. As a good neighbor and local business owner, he approaches the tough challenges that the town faces with both realism and positivity. His commitment to this town is evident by his years-long service on the Finance Committee, which gives him the experience and authority a Selectboard member needs to do their most important job, which...
WILMINGTON-As a former Vernon resident (and one dying to move back there!) I wholeheartedly endorse Ian Hefele in his bid for town clerk. I lived in the "Old Whistle Stop" building on Route 142 for over 10 years and visited the Town Clerk Office and library - which was right across the street - on many occasions. Having known Ian for almost the same number of years, I feel he is an excellent person to fill the role of town...
PUTNEY-I am grateful to call Bex Slattery a colleague, blessed to call her a friend, and completely enthused that she's running for a seat on the Putney Selectboard. When Bex joined the Garland School team in Brattleboro as our cook, it was clear right away that she was going to contribute more than just food to our community. I felt the same way in getting to know her personally, as a neighbor in Putney. This was a woman who had...
Tim Stevenson is a community organizer with Post Oil Solutions from Athens ([email protected]) and is the author of Resilience and Resistance: Building Sustainable Communities for a Post Oil Age (Green Writers Press), and Transformative Activism: A Values Revolution in Everyday Life in a Time of Societal Collapse (Apocryphile Press). ATHENS-In his Feb. 7 column, Chris Hedges stated that because of "self-inflicted wounds, characteristic of all late empires," the American empire will collapse, "like a house of cards." What is missing...
PUTNEY-People who study conflict resolution say that you can't win an argument on the basis of facts when the other side is coming from a place of feelings (and delusions). Nonetheless, facts are facts. In regards to the Apartheid-Free Pledge coming up for a vote in Brattleboro and Newfane, I want readers of The Commons to know: • Israel is indeed an "apartheid" state. Palestinians are not allowed to drive on the same roads as Israelis. They need a special...
PUTNEY-I am deeply concerned about the case of Rein Kolts, a man sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Vermont jury in 2017 for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old. While the severity of such a crime cannot be understated, there are troubling aspects of this case that demand immediate attention and investigation. First, Kolts has shared evidence that the alleged victim has reportedly denied the allegations, raising serious questions about the validity of the conviction. Additionally, Kolts presents...
BROOKLINE-I am writing in strong support of the anti-apartheid, pro-Palestinian articles in both the Newfane and Brattleboro town meeting agendas. I have seen a flurry of letters and internet comments proclaiming that these are somehow an antisemitic attack and have no place in local government. Critique of Israel's government and actions is not an inherently antisemitic act, and I ask that voters of these two towns look beyond that knee-jerk reaction and see some of the reasons these articles have...
GUILFORD-It never ceases to amaze: even the many who think of themselves as "left" or "progressive" think nothing of shopping all the time at Amazon. Oh, it's so convenient! Yes, but - while we spout off about human rights and such and rant against Trump and his oligarchs who would rule over us, do we not see it is us, by our unthinking actions, who build this alien power? Amazon just shut down all seven distribution centers in the province...
BRATTLEBORO-I've known Isaac Evans-Frantz for several years, and I am glad he is running for Selectboard. Isaac's Brattleboro roots run deep. He was born here, grew up in a low-income family and graduated from Brattleboro Union High School before going on to college. His hard-scrabble upbringing gives him the experience to understand those in town who can't afford huge increases in local property taxes. So I admire the way he has shone a light on the way the current Selectboard...
NEWFANE-Yes, Dan DeWalt, we can act. And we did, at the voting booth. Furthermore, we need to be honest and genuine in those actions. Let's start with calling our president an "insecure orange bully." It is not just a slam on the duly elected leader of our country, it is a slam against all the people who voted for him and the 70% (as of this writing) who believe he is doing as he promised during the campaign. Not a...
BRATTLEBORO-Upon the advent of the airplane at the turn of the 20th century, locals with an eye on the sky didn't need a 1919 front-page headline to see that Evelyn Harris was the "First Woman to Fly Over Brattleboro." But unbeknownst to many, the late pioneer also made history by repeating the feat on skis. Harris had just turned 25 in the winter of 1922 when her brother, Fred, turned a hometown hill into what's now the sole Olympic-size ski...
PUTNEY-Beloved children's book author and illustrator Eileen Christelow told The Commons she saved her illustrations from her two "pig books" - The Great Pig Escape and The Great Pig Search - for a gallery show in Putney. "I wanted Putney to have their story," she says. "I had thought about doing something with the two pig books because the first one takes place in Putney." Her dream comes true this week with her show - "Eileen Christelow: Illustrations," which runs...
BRATTLEBORO-Ashlyn and Abraham McClurg of Rebop Farm on Sunset Lake Road are reeling but resilient, trying to recover from the collapse of their barn under a load of ice and snow on Sunday, Feb. 16. "We're exhausted and in shock, but there's no other way but through, and the animals need taken care of so, that's what we'll do," Abraham McClurg said Monday. "The weather certainly isn't making it any easier today and tonight, though." When the four-year-old, 40-ft.-by-100-ft. hoop...
BRATTLEBORO-The public is invited to a special informational meeting hosted by the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) and the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) boards of directors to discuss Gov. Phil Scott's proposed education reform plan. The meeting takes place Monday, Feb. 24 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Brattleboro Union High School auditorium. Attendees will be board members, school administrators, district staff members, and community members. The following legislators have been invited to participate: • State Sen. Nader...
WEST BRATTLEBORO-As I walk into the Brooks Memorial Library director's office, the first thing I notice is a framed silhouette of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. There's the charismatic leader playing a sweet tune and watching all the kids from town dance behind her. Starr LaTronica - who if you haven't noticed has the name of a superhero - is classically self-effacing. She describes her leadership style as "getting out of the way and letting my incredible staff do their...
BRATTLEBORO-The Annual Town Election takes place for all town voters on Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 4, and eight candidates are competing for three seats on the Selectboard. The following overviews have been compiled with the help of information and responses from candidates gathered from the League of Women Voters. The Commons and the Brattleboro Reformer are both media partners in the nonpartisan organization's civic engagement efforts. Two candidates vie for three-year seat Oscar Heller is a Representative Town Meeting...
Cal Glover-Wessel grew up in Brattleboro and lives here again after a few years of doing humanitarian work on the southern border. BRATTLEBORO-Recently, a slew of extremely bigoted comments and posts uncovered on social media sites have drawn scrutiny toward the motivations behind the political and social aspirations of their author, Henry Poitras, a.k.a. Planet Hank. On Feb. 8, a collection of more than 80 images started making the rounds on Facebook, mostly screenshots of comments or posts from the...
-With a big winter storm bearing down on Brattleboro on Feb. 16, the folks who run the Harris Hill Ski Jump decided to combine the U.S. Cup and the Fred Harris Memorial Tournament events into one day of competition on Feb. 15. Uhr Rosar of Slovenia won the Open Men's division for the second straight year. His two jumps of 101 and 99.5 meters gave him 257.5 points, Norway took the next two spots as Ole Gravermoen had jumps of...